Spring 2014

In this Issue: A NOTE FROM THE CLINIC COORDINATOR.…1

ASPIRE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: OUR AMAZING INTERNS….2

ASPIRE Clinic The ASPIRE Clinic, a collaborative unit of the College of Family and Consumer 

Sciences at the University of Georgia, is a unique resource that provides coun‐

seling and education services to UGA and the Athens community, as well as 

innovative educational and research opportunities to UGA students. 

ASPIRE to improve your... SELF RELATIONSHIPS NUTRITION HEALTH FINANCES HOME LEGAL SITUATION

acquiring strategies for personal improvement and relationship enhancement

S pringtime  is  a  busy  time here  at  ASPIRE. Many  of our  students  and  service 

providers are preparing for grad‐uation and moving  forward with their lives.         One  of  the  things  I  am most proud of is ASPIRE’s capability to build  a better  future profession‐al.  Time  and  again,  students  ap‐proach me with gratitude for the opportunity  to  learn  in  such  a unique  environment.  Through their  involvement with the clinic, undergraduate and graduate stu‐dents  alike  are  challenged  to think  about  their  client’s  strug‐

gles in a more holistic way and to work  collaboratively  with  other disciplines  to  more  effectively help.  This  cross‐field  exposure encourages  students  to  absorb new knowledge and skills, and to grow  both  professionally  and personally.        I’m  extremely  proud  of  the work  that  the  ASPIRE  students do—this issue highlights them!                      Keep Aspiring!               Megan Ford   

INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL EDUCATION: REAL-WORLD LEARNING….3

A REAL RENOVATION: ASPIRE CLINIC DESIGNERS AT WORK….4

ASPIRE CLINIC HAPPENINGS: MAKING AN IMPACT….5

Volume 2 , Issue 1

Be A Better You!

From the Clinic Coordinator

freedigitalphotos.net

T he ASPIRE Clinic’s unique undergraduate internship pro-gram has experienced signifi-

cant growth over the past three years, from one intern per semester a few years ago, to seven in spring 2014! The Clinic Coordinator, Megan Ford, has championed and advanced the pro-gram to ensure that outstanding un-dergraduates of UGA are ahead of the game. Students from various disciplines, many of whom are planning to pursue careers in helping fields, like counsel-ing, social work, and marriage and family therapy, are jumping at the chance to be involved here. “The in-ternship program allows them the spe-cial opportunity to experience holistic clinical work, learn about their future career fields, hone important profes-sional skills, and much more,” said Megan Ford, ASPIRE Clinic Coordi-

nator and Director/Supervisor of clin-ic internships. “The ASPIRE Clinic has had a very significant impact on my undergradu-ate experience at UGA,” said Analee Phang, a senior Human Development & Family Sciences major. “It has given me the opportunity to really solidify my passion for counseling, while also providing me with the tools to grow as an individual.” Lindsey Hutchins, a senior HDFS major in the College of Family & Con-sumer Sciences, echoed that sentiment when speaking about the value of the internship experience. “The ASPIRE internship has given me the oppor-tunity to tie in what I've learned in classes, such as professional develop-ment and intimate relationships, and apply it to real-life situations.” To en-hance the opportunity for growth and development, interns at ASPIRE are

highly encouraged to dedicate time over several semesters to the program. Recently, a struc-ture whereby interns

can be promoted to new positions re-quiring additional leadership and re-sponsibility has been created—truly allowing each student to prepare themselves for the demands of gradu-ate programs and their chosen career paths. “I value the lessons ASPIRE has taught me through working in a positive environment,” said Sarah Cal-houn, another HDFS major and spring 2014 intern. “I have seen so much growth in my personal and profession-al skills here at ASPIRE that I feel more confident taking the next steps into my future.” Rebecca Levy, a Psy-chology major and first-semester in-tern felt similarly about her own growth. “This has had a huge impact on my undergraduate learning and experience at UGA by giving me in-sight into what I want to do with my future career,” she said. “I have been able to learn so much in just one se-mester!”

To learn more about the

ASPIRE Clinic internship, please visit:

www.aspireclinic.org/about/internships

ASPIRE Student Spotlight:

Our Amazing Interns

From top left: Analee Phang, Annie Wilson, Rebecca Levy, Sarah Calhoun, Lindsey Hutchins,

Morgan Kupersmith, & Seyi Amosu

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What 3 words would you use to

describe ASPIRE?

Professional, Creative, Rewarding

Positive, Encouraging, Collaborative

Inspiring, Teaching, Growing

“The ASPIRE Clinic is a game-changer for undergraduate student learning—we want to inspire them to reach their potential.”

-Megan Ford, ASPIRE Clinic Coordinator & Internship

Director/Supervisor

Under the direction of Dr. Joe Goetz and co-supervisor, Megan Ford, UGA financial planning students are enhanc-

ing their learning by participating in a new course, Clinical Practicum in Financial Planning.

Innovative Financial Planning Education:

How UGA is training better professionals

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T he ASPIRE Clinic and the University of Georgia are home to some of the most

skilled financial planning students you can find—in fact, WealthManage-ment.com recently named UGA as one of the top six programs in the country for financial planning educa-tion. That doesn’t mean that they’re resting on their laurels, however. With the support of the ASPIRE Clinic, Drs. Joe Goetz and Lance Palmer provide UGA financial plan-ning students with ways to explore the knowledge and skills necessary for working with clients in the real world through opportunities with the Vol-unteer Income Tax Assistance pro-

gram and the Clinical Practicum course. These training experiences happen in supportive, encouraging environments that allows students to grow both professionally and person-ally. Building better professionals at ASPIRE involves challenging stu-dents to not only apply classroom knowledge, but to also adopt new and relevant skills from other collabora-tive fields like counseling, marriage and family therapy, and psychology. Through experiences like the AS-PIRE Clinic, VITA, and Clinical Fi-nancial Practicum, students are truly connected to our college’s motto, “Knowledge for Real Life.”

In Your Own Words... 2014 financial planning program graduate

and FACS Ambassador, Kelsey Brooks, shares the impact ASPIRE & financial

practicum had on her college experience.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What kind of impact have the

ASPIRE Clinic and the financial practicum experience had on your

undergraduate education? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASPIRE has allowed me to grow outside of the classroom and put into practice what I have learned about fi-nancial planning. It has given me con-fidence to work with peers and clients in a formal setting and I am now more comfortable working with clients and sharing financial advice. The ASPIRE Clinic is unique because it has allowed me to expand my financial knowledge and combine it with more of a focus on therapy. Financial counseling is a unique area that is necessary to help the community get the help they need with basic and more complex financial issues. It has been a rewarding oppor-tunity to work with clients and help them feel more prepared and to partici-pate in such a unique and necessary clinic.

The Clinic Practicum course al-lows students to start building rela-tionships with clients and to build their confidence in working with other people, whether it is a colleague or cli-ent. The clinical financial practicum provides real-world experience in a supportive environment that encour-ages growth. The instructors really want the students to be successful, and provide helpful feedback and suggest techniques to use in dealing with dif-ferent situations. The ASPIRE Clinic is the first and only clinic of its kind, which that adds another layer of diver-sity to our financial planning program. Participating in the financial practicum allows for students to share their expe-rience with prospective employers and show that they have had some expo-sure and responsibility to clients. It is one of the most challenging, yet re-warding classes I have taken at UGA. - Kelsey Brooks

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A Real Renovation: ASPIRE Design

Students at Work FACS Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors stu-dents assist ASPIRE Clinic clients in transform-ing their spaces and promoting healthy, functional environments.

T he ASPIRE Clinic home environment and design services tend to be the unit that prompts the most questions from

students, clients, and supports alike. People wonder how home environment and design services are a relevant part of what we do—but it doesn’t take long for them to recognize how our environments and the spaces we reside in impact our moods, emotions, and well-being. Recently, Textiles, Merchandising, and Interi-ors students under the director of Assistant Professor, Sarah Zenti, assisted an ASPIRE client in a remodeling and design plan for a bathroom space in her home. The students re-flected on this experience and how it has im-pacted their education and learning. “I really enjoyed the fact that this project at ASPIRE allowed us to see, meet with, and learn from the client instead of just using in-formation based on a fictitious client.,” said TMI student Michelle Kunkel. “It was very rewarding for me to see her reaction to the finished product as well, and to know that her needs were met by the design we created.” Allison Fishbeck, another TMI student on the project, echoed this enthusiasm. “The look of relief and satisfaction on our client’s face was awesome. It made me feel accomplished as a designer to know that she liked what we de-signed for her,” mentioned Fishbeck. For Kunkel, her ASPIRE participation was an important aspect of her undergraduate learning. “I think for me, this was the most important project I have done in my under-graduate career because it was real. It makes a big difference seeing what needs to be done and what goes into a project when the outcome will actually be produced.” Not only that, Kun-kel believes this experience will help her in the real world. “This is a project I will be adding to my portfolio as well—I think it shows off a creative and practical side of my work, that some of our classes can’t exhibit.”

Learn more about Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors here:

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/tmi

ASPIRE Clinic McPhaul Center 

University of Georgia 

706‐542‐4486 

aspire@uga.edu 

www.aspireclinic.org 

Newsletter Design/

Layout/Editing 

Megan Ford 

ASPIRE Clinic Happenings

© 2014 ASPIRE Clinic 

Noteworthy

Congratulations to Lindsey Hutchins, one of our own ASPIRE Clinic interns. She

was recently featured as one of UGA’s “Amazing Students.”

Find more at: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/featured_people/

featured_person/lindsey-hutchins

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Welcome

The ASPIRE Clinic welcomes a new member of the ASPIRE Advisory Group representing the Legal Problem Solving unit of the clinic, Jason Cade. Jason joined the Georgia Law faculty in the fall of 2013. He teaches Immigration Law and also directs the school’s new Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic. Read more about Jason here: http://www.law.uga.edu/profile/jason-cade

Earlier this spring, UGA Peer Nutrition Educators and ASPIRE interns partnered and hosted Kroger Grocery Store Tours for National Nutrition Month. The tours provided information to UGA students about healthy eating and shopping for great food on a budget. Kroger on Alps Road, who provided the use of their location, was gracious enough to offer delicious and nutritious meals for all the participants, while the hosts promoted resources that would help students learn how to eat healthy on a budget.

April was Financial Literacy Month, and utilizing the ASPIRE Clinic’s financial literacy lab space, FACS financial planning students hosted workshops on common financial issues, like student loans, credit cards, creating a spending plan, and debt manage-ment. Kelly Manning, an undergraduate financial planning student and ASPIRE financial service pro-vider, helped to host the workshop on student loans (pictured above). Both UGA and community mem-bers were invited to participate.